Eddie Royal doesn't have any concerns about the quarterback situation in Denver. He even has a solution if Kyle Orton doesn't work out as a replacement for Jay Cutler.
According to Royal, he can play quarterback.
"I can throw the ball," Royal said, jokingly, in a phone interview with CBSSports.com. "I've been trying to get them to put me back there. I keep getting in their ear."
Jokes aside, Royal is confident in Orton's ability to be the starter heading into Week 1 at Cincinnati. He didn't even want to talk about Cutler, who was traded to Chicago this offseason.
Cutler helped Royal become an instant hit as a rookie last year with 91 catches for 980 yards and five touchdowns. He has the second-most catches in NFL history for a rookie behind Anquan Boldin, who had 101 grabs in 2003.
But Royal believes he can be just as good with Orton this year.
Fantasy Football - Eddie expecting Royal treatment in '09 : FantasyNews.CBSSports.com
"We've got a great quarterback here," Royal said. "Kyle is a great leader and a hard worker. He has a great arm. He's very accurate and has great ball placement. Every time I come out of a break it's there. He can make every play you want him to make."
Royal, known for his speed, said Orton's arm strength is underrated. The knock on Orton is he doesn't have the same velocity as Cutler or ability to throw the deep ball, but Royal disagrees with that notion.
"He's overthrown me a couple of times," Royal said. "I told him maybe I need to get a little faster."
This Denver passing game will be intriguing to follow all season, especially for Fantasy owners. Not only is Royal a great option, but Orton can be a sleeper with the talent around him.
It all depends on enigmatic wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who appears on track for a good year following a tumultuous offseason. After dealing with hip surgery, a hamstring injury, overcoming some legal trouble and then getting suspended by the team, the Broncos and Marshall now appear on the same page heading into Week 1.
Royal knows having Marshall focused and involved in the offense can only bring positive results.
"He's a great playmaker, and we definitely need him," Royal said. "When he's on the field, the defense has to pay a lot of attention to him. It's fun out there. We always challenge each other to make plays."
Royal and Marshall could make plenty of plays in this offense under new coach Josh McDaniels, who was previously the offensive coordinator in New England. If the same offense McDaniels ran for the Patriots comes to Denver, then the assumption is Marshall will play the Randy Moss role, and Royal will try to resemble Wes Welker.
That could mean plenty of catches for Royal since Welker has 223 catches the past two years. But Royal isn't ready to divulge his role in the offense.
"Wes is a great wide receiver," Royal said. "It's definitely a compliment to be compared to him. But my role hasn't been defined yet. They've moved me around a lot. I can't say that's my role and I'm going to be that guy."
Fantasy owners are hopeful Royal can play like Welker, or at least come close. That would make his outlook even better coming into his sophomore season.
We're expecting big things from Royal, and he should be a talented receiver for the Broncos. Notice it says receiver, because even though he might think he's a good quarterback, that's the last thing we want to see.
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